Green had given his all for the Demons for one last time.
The result wasn’t what he - or anyone associated with the red and blue - had hoped, but it was an important symbolic gesture to see the two young skippers chair one of the club greats in his last appearance.
“Obviously the fairytale would’ve been to send Greeny off in style,” Trengove told melbournefc.com.au.
“But it was really disappointing that we couldn’t do that today.
“I just feel bad for not being able to deliver today for him and what he’s done for the club over the last 13 years. He’s a champion of this club and it’s really disappointing to send him off in this fashion.”
Still, it meant plenty for Trengove to chair Green off the ground, considering the influence the veteran has had over the youngster.
“It was his big day, and you just want to send him off in the right fashion,” he said.
“Greeny has had a great influence on my short career so far. When I first moved over, I actually moved to his house in the first week or so and lived around the corner, and we drove to training with him.
“He taught me a lot, so he’s been a great mentor for me and I’m going to miss him around the place. We just want to make sure he is around the place, because we’ve still got a lot to learn from him.”
For Green, he said he was “not too bad” with the realisation that he had just played his 254th and final AFL match - the sixth most in Melbourne’s history. He also notched up his 350th - and final - goal in his last outing, to sit seventh on Melbourne’s all time goalkicking table.
For 13 seasons, Green had been a constant of Melbourne. And along the way, he became a captain, won a best and fairest award and achieved a host of accolades - he also led Australia in the 2011 International Rules series.
But despite his wonderful talent and skill, courage and determination, and durability and consistency, Green said the game had never been more demanding or brutal.
And it was this message with which he left his teammates.
“They’ve got a lot of hard work in front of them, and footy’s not an easy game,” he said.
“It doesn’t come easy for anybody. It’s not for everybody, and it takes hard work.
“For those players who think it’s an easy game - they’re kidding themselves … talent only takes you so far, and there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done there.”
Green said the Demons were developing, but suggested that patience and time were necessary.
“I just think that our young group’s learning. Learning how to train, learning how to play and learning how to get better,” he said.
“Our players are learning that, and you’ve got to take your opportunities when you can.”
“AFL footy - it’s not for everyone. Top four teams … if you don’t take the chances when you get them, good sides will come over the top of you.”
But Green was adamant that coach Mark Neeld and his department are on track for the long term.
“Neeldy and his coaches are on the right path,” he said.
“The players, I’ve got no doubt they’re in for a hard pre-season, and that’s where it’s all going to start for them.”
The realisation for Trengove and his teammates is that they must now create their own future for the Demons.
And, given that Green was the last remaining Demon from the club’s most recent grand final appearance in 2000, the new era has well and truly been reinforced at Melbourne.
Trengove knows that this must continue this Saturday against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium. Every opportunity is imperative for both the Demons and Trengove.
“While it was Greeny’s last day - we have to go through the same processes and we’re going to review the game and see the areas that we need to improve on, and go to the training track,” he said.
“We’ve got another week to go, and it’s important that we really finish the year off strongly.”
